


Rants and Repairs

by Beth Harker (Beth_Harker)



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Discussion of sexism, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Intimacy, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 18:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18371231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth_Harker/pseuds/Beth%20Harker
Summary: Katherine has just had a hard day at work.  Sarah is there to make it better.





	Rants and Repairs

Katherine Plumber has never been one to fret over a torn stocking or a scraped knee. How could she be? She's a reporter, and she's had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to cover the hard hitting blood-and-guts stories that move a writer up in the world. Only six months ago, she interviewed a mob boss who put a gun to her temple, and gave her permission to print the narrative he shared with her, but made it clear that if she ever revealed that location of his lair, it'd be over for her. It’d been a rush, in a way, and after finding that the criminal she was interviewing gave more of the money he laundered to the poor and destitute than Katherine’s own father had ever shared of the money he legally hoarded— well, Katherine had been content with the story she printed, omissions and all. 

Facing extreme physical danger for a chance to talk to a modern day Robin Hood was one thing. Getting her best skirt caught in the doorway after a bad day at the office is quite another. Katherine explains it to Sarah after she arrives home with such a distressed expression on her face that Sarah orders her to lie down in their bed with her head in Sarah’s lap and tell her everything.

“Talk to me,” Sarah says, running her fingers through Katherine’s hair, gently and cleverly working out the tangles that always seem to form there. “And please tell me you weren't shot at or anything like that.” 

“First, I came in and discovered Mr. Humphreys was ill, and was asked to cover his stories, which I did, but then they wanted me to put _his_ name on the articles. He's recognized, they say, and they lectured like you wouldn't believe. The problem is, Mr. Humphreys is a decent sort, and I wouldn't mind doing him a good turn, but I can't help being suspicious when it's decided that my non-de-plume isn't good enough. You know, before I settled on Katherine Plumber, I considered briefly taking on the name Elliot George as a homage to George Elliot, to see how many people would catch on to what I was trying to tell them. I'm not a novelist, however, and I'd much rather be as close to myself as my circumstances allow.” 

“There were men who impersonated George Elliot,” Sarah says. “I doubt you’d want to open yourself up to that.” 

“After it was settled that the articles would be attributed to Mr. Humphreys with a note at the bottom thanking Katherine Plumber for her contributions, I went to the back office, to discuss my assignment for the day. It was meant to be an article about linguistic trends amongst the newsies— not exactly hair raising, but interesting, and a place where I could do some good, considering how quickly everybody is to dismiss them for the way they talk. Well, that rotten Denton was there stealing the story right out from under my feet!” 

“I thought Denton was the most tolerable of everyone you work with?” 

Katherine glares at the wall. “Our interests align too closely, and the paper will always choose him over me. He doesn't understand. I don't know if he's blind or stupid or I'm stupid for convincing myself he doesn't do it on purpose.” 

“Davey looks up to him. Have you tried talking to Denton?” 

“Here and there. It works— temporarily. I hate his smile.” 

“Would you like me to stab him with my sewing needle?” 

Katherine grits her teeth. “Yes.” 

“In the eye?”

Katherine’s tight jaw relaxes just a little bit, and she allows herself to smile and nuzzle her head against Sarah’s knee. “Absolutely,” she says, knowing very well that Sarah has no intentions of following through on her threat. It's just as well. Most days Katherine considers Bryan Denton a friend. The problem is that he believes himself so fervently to be a person who fights for justice that he's often unaware of the small injustices he commits.   
“What else happened at work?” Sarah asks. 

“My typewriter ran out of ink.” 

“How dare it!” 

“I got my skirt caught in a door. It's ripped beyond repair, and that was the last straw.” 

“Hmm…” Sarah brushes her hand down Katherine's side, resting it eventually near her ankles over the torn bit of skirt. If Katherine had to guess, she'd say that inspecting the damage to her clothing isn't the only reason that Sarah has placed her hand in that way, and it's a touch that Katherine can feel all over. 

“I can fix it,” Sarah says. “Don't under estimate me. I'm very good at what I do.” 

Katherine props herself up on one elbow, and Sarah leans down so that Katherine can capture her lips with her own. “I’d never dream of underestimating you,” Katherine says.


End file.
